


Unexpected Guests

by UndertaleThingem



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Frisk Uses Sign Language, Gaster Blaster AU, Gen, Gender-Neutral Frisk, Post-Undertale Pacifist Route - "I want to stay with you.", but not the usual one ;D
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2019-01-13
Packaged: 2019-03-22 20:00:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 17,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13771470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UndertaleThingem/pseuds/UndertaleThingem
Summary: Inspired by anime one day, Papyrus tries to show off his special attack. It doesn't exactly go as planned.Now he's got a giant skeletal beast to deal with, it doesn't seem to be going anywhere, and that's only the beginning.~This is the original fic version of the fan comic Unexpected Guests, which is posted to my tumblr account by the (approximately) same username undertalethingems. Thanks for reading!~





	1. Chapter 1

The TV flashed as the heroine let loose a blast of energy from her wand, and though Papyrus questioned the realism of the magic system he had to admit this battle was quite climactic. Anime wasn’t really his thing—certainly not as much as it was Undyne’s—but now that they had the good stuff from the surface instead of literal garbage to watch, there were a few series he could admit were pretty good. It had become a tradition now for Undyne to come over some afternoons toting a bag of DVDs or Alphys’ hard drive, and they’d sit on the couch and watch the latest thing she thought he’d like.

Today’s selection was another magical girl anime—those were Alphys’ favorite so it tended to be a common pick—but the battles packed a real punch as the protagonists learned to trust each other and use their strengths to fight invading creatures from another dimension and save both worlds from a corrupting evil. It was a little scary sometimes, but Papyrus liked how clever the characters were getting with their magic—as someone who prided himself on his magical prowess he could relate.

But today was extra special because not only was Undyne sitting beside him with fists clenched and a broad grin on her face as she rooted for her favorites, but Sans and Frisk were here too. Toriel had asked the brothers to babysit the child while she attended a conference for educators, and the skeletons had been more than happy to oblige; so far though, they hadn’t gotten into any shenanigans until Undyne had showed up with entertainment. Papyrus glanced down at his human friend and grinned; they were leaning forward, wearing a determined smile as the protagonists teamed up to combine their attacks and send an arcane circle weaving around a horrendous spirit, cleansing its soul. Sans sat on their other side and watched with lidded eyes—Papyrus was always surprised to see he could stay awake for these things. Maybe he actually liked them?

As the team united to unleash their ultimate technique against this season’s boss, Frisk seemed to remember something and nudged Papyrus’ arm. He glanced down at them, and waited as they signed.

‘ _Hey Papyrus… you never did show me your special attack. What was it?_ ’

“Oho! That’s right! That pesky dog got in the way any time I tried, but I haven’t seen hide nor tail of that little pest for some time now!”

“Shh, Papyrus!” Undyne barked, eyes still glued to the screen. “You’re gonna miss the best part!”

He gave Frisk an apologetic glance, but they nodded, and they both turned back to the action. The boss writhed under the summoned spirit of all the girls’ spells combined, and exploded with light as the wicked magic twisting it was extinguished. The surrounding lands were purified at last, and the protagonists celebrated with a group hug, beaten and worn as they were. When the credits rolled, Frisk applauded while Sans turned the lights back on, and Undyne stretched.

“So that’s it for that season, but the next one is coming out in a couple weeks,” she explained. “Me and Alphys are gonna have a little party for the season opening, you guys are TOTALLY invited.”

‘ _Sounds great,_ ’ Frisk replied, smiling. ‘ _I really liked that none of the monsters were really evil._ ’

“I KNEW you would! Um, so did we,” Undyne grinned. “Anyway, what were you talking to Papyrus about?”

‘ _Oh! When everyone went to use the special attack, it reminded me I never saw Papyrus’_ ,” the child explained again. ‘ _I forgot all about it until just now._ ’

“Huh, really? He’s super proud of that, I can’t believe you missed out,” Undyned uttered, grinning. “Well, I know I’M all pumped up for awesome magic, and there’s only one way to fix this! So! Let’s TOTALLY DO THIS!! C’MON!”

“Yes! Now is the perfect time! But the house is not the perfect place!” Papyrus added with some concern. “The special attack is very, er, laser-y, and I’m not cleaning that out of the carpet.”

“Outside then! C’mon punk, wait ‘til you see this! It’s AWESOME!” Undyne yelled, then grabbed Frisk by their head and charged out. Papyrus glanced over at his brother, who hadn’t appeared to move from his spot on the couch even after turning the lights back on. “Well, I suppose this is happening. Are you coming?”

“i’m getting up as we speak,” Sans answered, mischief gleaming in his eyes.

“You’re not moving at all! Ugh!” Papyrus turned and walked to the door, and Sans appeared at his side as he headed out.

“nah, you know i wouldn’t miss watching you be cool for the world. wonder how the kid’ll react. i bet it’ll be hilarious.”

The front yard of the brothers’ house wasn’t as large as the back, but it was still sizable and allowed for plenty of room. Undyne waited with Frisk on the driveway, an eager smile baring all her fangs as she watched the brothers approach. Frisk was rubbing their head, but smiled nevertheless—clearly they were excited about this too.

“Okay! Since Toriel would kill us if we hurt Frisk, I’M gonna be your opponent!” Undyne declared. “Just like old times, right Papyrus?”

“Indeed!” he agreed, grinning. “I’ve missed our training sessions! We mostly cooked… but I’m sure the same principles apply!”

“Yup! You gotta do everything with ONE HUNDRED PERCENT EFFORT or it DOESN’T MATTER! Fighting, cooking, saving the world—IT’S ALL THE SAME!” Undyne bellowed, clenching her fists. “If you don’t believe in yourself, what else have you got?”

“Precisely!” Papyrus agreed. “Though, even if you don’t believe in yourself, as long as you have friends who do, you can still do anything!”

“AN EXCELLENT POINT!” Undyne roared, stomping the ground. “Okay! Enough talk! SHOW ME WHAT YOU’RE MADE OF!”

‘ _Wouldn’t that be bones?_ ’ Frisk signed, wearing a smirk.

Sans, who stood next to them, chuckled. “yup.”

The exhibition battle began with the two friends warming up; Undyne tossed some spears after Papyrus had cast a few bones her way, and they both used their soul magic on one another for a turn just to get into the swing of things. But neither Papyrus nor Undyne were ones to do things by halves, which meant even the friendliest of battles between them didn’t stay casual for long. Frisk watched in awe of their friends as each wove increasingly intricate patterns with their attacks, dodging and blocking each other’s work skillfully. Sans noticed their expression and laughed softly.

“my bro really is cool, huh?. undyne’s strong, but no one can control their magic half as good as he can. he’s really giving her a run for her money today.”

As he finished, Undyne let out a roar, and sent a volley of spears cascading down. Papyrus, with his soul flashing green, held fast and blocked them all with a conjured bone and a confident smile. His mentor’s soul spell dropped with the end of her turn, and he cast his weapon aside. He passed a wink to Frisk, and struck a pose.

“Now! It is time! Inspired by the spirit of cool anime and my inherent greatness, I! Give you! My special attack!!!”

Papyrus flicked his wrist, and something flashed into existence. A low, horse-like skull nearly as long as he was tall emerged from the ether, glowing eyes with rounded pupils flaring in its sockets—then a long, spiny vertebral column followed. Delicate, birdlike limbs alighted on the ground to support a lean torso and deeply keeled breastbone; expansive, narrow wings fluttered up from its shoulder blades, and the being lashed its whiplike tail with a flourish before crouching, gaping with a split maw and baring solid, chisel-shaped teeth. Magic thrummed from between the mandibles—

And was cut off as Papyrus wrapped his arms around the creature’s jaws and snapped them shut. The beast’s irises flashed into a mirror version of Papyrus’ own wide-eyed expression, and the two wrestled for a bit while everyone else could only stare. Despite the creature being many times his size, Papyrus wrangled it into submission, scolding it all the while like it was a misbehaving dog instead of the giant, skeletal dragon thing it was.

“No! Bad! Down!” he shouted, wagging a finger in the beast’s face, and it finally laid down with a strange sort of whine.

“What… the HECK?!” Undyne shouted, tossing her spear aside. “You’ve never done THAT before?!”

‘ _What’s going on? Is it not supposed to look like that?_ ’ Frisk signed, only having everyone else’s reactions to go on.

“Ugh! No!!” Papyrus huffed, clearly frustrated. “It’s only supposed to be a cool skull, but then THIS happened!”

He gestured at the creature, which sank lower under his disapproval and crooned a sad-sounding rumble. Frisk almost felt sorry for it, but wanted to laugh too—there was something silly in such a large, scary-looking thing being afraid of Papyrus. But if it didn’t normally manifest this way, why had it done so now? They thought for a moment and grinned.

‘ _Papyrus… you really were inspired by anime! You summoned a spirit just like Minako did,_ ’ they said, and Undyne howled with laughter.

“Oh my GOD! That TOTALLY EXPLAINS IT!” she hooted, and Papyrus ran a hand over his face with a weary sigh.

“I did say as much, didn’t I?” he admitted, then looked back at his creation. “I certainly didn’t think it would have any real effect, but here we are. Alright, you’ve done well enough. You may go.”

He waved his arm to dispel the construct, but it simply stared up at him innocently. He waved his hand again, frowning, then both hands in a shooing motion. “Off with you! Go! Shoo! I have no need for your services at this time, the fight is over!”

The creature made another sad warble.

“Aw, I think it wants to stay,” Undyne said lightly, walking closer to the creature. “Hey, what do you call it, anyway?”

“Well I never had occasion to call it anything other than my special attack,” Papyrus answered, planting his hands on his hips. “It’s usually not this stubborn.”

‘ _It also doesn’t usually have a body. Maybe you put too much effort into it,_ ’ Frisk mused, and he brightened.

“Of course! I would do nothing less! I just thought I had always given my attacks my all, but apparently I had more of my all to give all along. Incredible! What heights will the Great Papyrus reach next?!”

“so, can we keep it bro?” Sans teased; he was looking a lot more relaxed than he had when the creature first appeared. “you always wanted a puppy.”

“I’ve had quite enough of dogs since then, thank you very much!” Papyrus retorted. “But until it dissipates on its own I suppose we have no choice. But it’s not allowed in the house!”

The creature gave a huff.

‘ _Can I pet it?_ ’ Frisk asked, and Papyrus shrugged.

“I don’t see why not! Though it very clearly is a large and dangerous attack and not a dog.”

Frisk trotted over, and held out their hand warily like they always did with strange dogs. The creature extended its long neck and sniffed, dry breath huffing over Frisk’s head gently and ruffling their hair. Then it purred and presented the top of its crested skull, and Frisk ran their hands happily along the smooth bone. Undyne joined in, and before long they had one very contented special attack rolling on its sides begging for more.

“aw, it really likes you guys,” Sans said warmly as he plodded closer. “all thanks to my bro’s good influence, no doubt.”

“Naturally!” Papyrus affirmed. “I admit I had no idea it could be so… personable. Are yours like this, Sans?”

Sans froze as everyone’s eyes fell on him, and scoffed nervously. “heh, you know i don’t have anything as cool as your special attack. laser skulls are too much effort for me. laser dragons? totally out of the question.”

Papyrus stiffened. “Of course, brother. How could I possibly have thought otherwise?”

“No, hold on, don’t cover up for him,” Undyne growled, her eye darting between the two. “If Sans has this kinda thing too, I wanna see it.”

“You heard him, he’s far too lazy for such a cool attack!” Papyrus swiftly answered. “Though I’m sure if he practiced, he too could possibly approach my greatness!”

Frisk frowned. They’d never seen Sans fight, but it made sense for the brothers to share attacks—they were so close, and though opposites in many ways they had plenty of similarities too. Maybe if they asked nicely, they could convince him to show his stuff.

‘ _Please Sans, I really want to see your attack! I bet it’s super cool,_ ’ they signed, wearing their sweetest smile.

“Not as cool as mine,” Papyrus grumbled under his breath. He was idly petting his new friend.

Sans studied Frisk closely, then shut his eyes. “that look on your face… you’re pretty serious about this, huh? well, i hate to disappoint, but i really don’t have any magic like that. my bro’s just that cool.”

Frisk scrunched up their face, and Undyne laughed in the background.

“hey now, don’t let it stick like that,” Sans teased. “here, i’ll throw you a bone.”

A tiny bone no longer than one of his fingers appeared in his hand, and he tossed it lightly. Frisk caught it, and gave him a look. As they examined it, it crumbled to nothingness, and they frowned at him again.

“see, i can’t hold a candle to my bro,” Sans said with a shrug. “no point in _dragon_ this out any longer.”

An indignant groan rose from Papyrus and his beastly companion at the same time.

“Sans.” Undyne had her eye closed—she was doing her dramatic thing where she was definitely picturing herself in some kind of anime. “Did you really think you could hide something like this from us?”

“not hiding anything if there’s nothing to hide,” he answered, shrugging again, but Frisk poked him in the side repeatedly, and he chuckled as he tried to stave off their darting hands. “whoa there pal, if you wanted a rib-tickler you just had to ask.”

‘ _You’re such a liar!_ ’ they signed, laughing softly. ‘ _You hide all kinds of things, you jerk!_ ’

“geez kid, harsh much,” Sans replied, shaking his head. “what if tori heard you saying that?”

‘ _What if she found out you were lying!_ ’ Frisk shot back before continuing their poking assault.

“you’ve got no evidence of anything. i cannot believe you would slander your old pal sans like this, you should be ashamed.”

‘ _You’re the one who’s got codewords and secret rooms! And—_ ’

A spear suddenly buried its head at their feet and the two looked up at Undyne, who wore a snarl. “You kids… ARE JUST MESSING AROUND! Sans, what are you, FIVE?”

“yes.”

“He’s like, twenty-seven actually,” Papyrus corrected helpfully.

“Oh my god. That’s even worse.”

“Tell me about it.”

Undyne scoffed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Fine. FINE! If Sans won’t show off his stuff on his own… I’ll MAKE HIM!”

“w—”

Undyne cast her magic before Sans could make a move, and Frisk watched with interest as the battle began anew. The short skeleton glanced down nervously at the little spade-shaped flash of green that was his soul, and gave a resigned shrug.

“welp. go easy on me, ok? not everyone is as tough as my brother.”

“Please,” Undyne sneered, “you know I don’t go easy on ANYONE!”

She cast the first volley of spears, and Sans eyed them wearily before summoning a wall of bones to block them. Frisk noticed his feet shift anxiously—he clearly wanted to move, but the green magic kept him locked in place as more spears headed his way. Based on the sweat beading on his skull, this was not a comfortable position for him in the slightest. Having been on the receiving end of Undyne’s fury, Frisk couldn’t blame him.

“so… if i show you my special attack, you’ll end the fight?” he asked after blocking another round.

“Yeah! Frisk, me, heck, even Papyrus wanted to see you pull it out!” Undyne replied, beaming. “C’mon, just one turn! Is it so hard to do that for your friends?!”

“fine, fine… after this then. you better be ready.” He surprised her by actually attacking during his turn, though it was a pattern she was familiar with from training with Papyrus. When it was his turn again after another round of blocking spears, they all watched eagerly… as he did nothing.

“yup. that’s my special attack. told you it was nothing, didn’t i?”

Undyne screamed in frustration, and sent down a rain of spears out of turn. Above the air whistling through their blades, Papyrus was yelling, and all of it was drowned out in an instant by blinding light and thunderous shocks that shook the ground. In its wake, the yard was left in silence; Frisk blinked lights out of their eyes as they tried to stand, their legs shaking. Papyrus was clinging to his familiar, and they rattled together while Undyne hauled herself up with a spear.

In the center of it all stood Sans, his sockets dark. At each shoulder, he was flanked by sturdy, beastly skulls with needle-sharp teeth and a cruel slant to their unblinking eyes. They hovered, steam curling around their fangs before they drew back and faded out of sight. These attacks didn’t look like anything Frisk thought their jokey, round little skeleton friend was capable of.

“there. ya saw ‘em. happy?”

“That… was… holy crap,” Undyne breathed. She gave up on the spear and flopped back into the grass. “Geez Sans. What the actual…. You’ve been holding out on us. This WHOLE TIME. BOTH OF YOU SKELETONS, OH MY GOD!!!”

“calm down lady, you’ll blow a gill out,” Sans huffed. “my bro’s is definitely cooler. ‘m gonna go take a nap, that was enough excitement for me today.”

Frisk frowned as he walked by to settle under a nearby tree—wanting to be away from the action, but not too far either. They watched him get comfortable and doze off, then turned to see Undyne trying to noogie Papyrus but being foiled by his lanky draconic companion. It growled pleadingly at her, but a warning snap earned harsh scolding from its master and it finally retreated to whine from a distance as Undyne put her friend in a headlock.

“YOU NERDS! YOU HAVE ALL THIS SWEET MAGIC AND YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT!” she hollered in some strange mix of joy and frustration. “I cannot BELIEVE—!”

“Ugh—Undyne! Please release the skeleton!”

“NO! Not until you TELL me why you guys HELD OUT ON ME FOR SO LONG!”

“It’s not that special! Grk—Undyne this is really not a position that is conducive to conversation!”

‘ _Undyne, let him go,_ ’ Frisk signed, but it went overshadowed by an affectionate suplex. Papyrus’ familiar yelped in concern as they thudded on the lawn, and he was left massaging his spine as Undyne sprawled out next to him with a laugh.

“I NEVER would have guessed you guys were so strong. Well, okay, I knew you were strong, and maybe I coulda guessed Sans was strong too, he just never put effort into anything… but dude. You’re both forces to be reckoned with. I don’t know of anyone who’s ever summoned their own… I dunno, pet? And like, that’s an extension of your soul, more or less, and it’s just so cool…!”

“Nyeh heh,” Papyrus laughed, then winced as he rubbed his side. “Mine is… definitely very cool. But my brother… doesn’t like his much. Of course! He! Doesn’t like fighting at all, and his are so… intimidating, I don’t blame him. Not really. I’m sure if he just worked on using them in lighthearted, friendly skirmishes perhaps their demeanor would change!”

‘ _But you said yourself he doesn’t fight. I think he only used them today because Undyne might’ve hit him._ ’

“…Yes…” Papyrus said, going oddly cold. His companion crept over to nuzzle him, then loped over to where his brother dozed. They watched as the creature circled a few times, and Papyrus looked ready to yell again as it picked his brother up gingerly in its teeth—then curled up and nestled him against its chest.

“Sorry, I just…” Undyne trailed, watching the scene unfold. “Oh my god, that’s super cute. Looks like even your attacks care about your brother.”

“You know, I think I’ll keep it after all,” Papyrus mused, stroking his chin. “It’s nice to have someone else looking after him, even if that someone is a sixty-foot-long skeleton dragon thing.”

‘ _I wonder what Sans’ attacks would look like if they were more than just skulls,_ ’ Frisk wondered, and Papyrus shrugged.

“Something we will likely never find out. Sans is not so easily inspired by cool animes,” he replied, “or, anything at all. But one giant dragon thing is enough!”

“No way, you need like, A DOZEN OF ‘EM!” Undyne yelled. Papyrus began a counterargument, and Frisk laughed at them both. They glanced back at Sans, who seemed unaware he had a protector as he slept; the special attack had folded its forelimbs around him and rested its head on the grass, luminous eyes watching the world go by curiously.

Monster magic really was a strange thing, but it was wonderful too, and they wouldn’t have it any other way.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Papyrus' special attack apparently sticking around, Sans has some name suggestions for it.

“so what are you going to name it?” Sans asked over breakfast the next morning. He watched a large tire roll across the lawn outside, shortly followed by his brother’s special attack bounding after it; with a lunge it caught the tire in its jaws, shook it, then tossed it into the air and out of sight. One blast of magic later and singed pieces of rubber came raining down. “also, it needs a new toy.”

“Already?!” Papyrus exclaimed, setting down another plate of pancakes with a clunk; they were a little brown, but infinitely more edible now that Toriel had taken over cooking lessons. “That’s the third one this morning! I’ll have to teach it not to vaporize them, ugh.”

“yeah, it hasn’t gotten tire-d of that yet,” Sans added, pleased at the groan he got in reply. “but, as i was saying. we should name it.”

“Hmm… I’m not sure it needs a name! It’s just my special attack, with a little extra to the special this time around,” Papyrus replied, sitting across from him at the small table with his own plate. “Maybe Papyrus Junior.”

“psh, c’mon bro, that’s worse than something the king would come up with. it’s gotta be something solid, like impact or showcard or something, y’know? thinking about it though, maybe parchment or curlz would be better.”

“Hmm… I suppose you have a point… but I don’t know. It’ll come to me in time!"

“we could always call it bonejangles… skully… tibia-rius… spike… vertricia…”

“No! Stop! Stop!! We are especially not calling it any of those!”

Sans laughed at his brother’s indignant shouting, and glanced back outside. The attack had heard the ruckus and was peering in at them curiously, and he waved at it before it turned its attention elsewhere. “well, whatever you decide on it’ll be super cool. it just feels awkward to not call it anything.”

“I suppose. I know! When I think of something we’ll send out invites and everyone can come meet it properly,” Papyrus suggested, perking up.

“that’s perfect. in the meantime, we should see about getting it something to do besides blasting up the yard.”

“What!? Oh no, my expertly manicured lawn!” Papyrus leapt from his seat to dash outside. Sans watched him go with a laugh, and went back to working on his pancakes. He glanced up in time to see his brother chase the attack going one way, then the attack chasing him going the other, and chuckled at their antics. He wasn’t sure how long the attack would stick around—even Papyrus’ normal attacks could persist outside of battle for months, and those didn’t have the spirit this creature did. Perhaps that was why Papyrus didn’t want to name it—if he named it, he’d get attached, and if it finally dissipated Papyrus would be heartbroken. Sans leaned back in his chair and sighed; for Papyrus’ sake, he hoped it stuck around for some time. Life was way more fun with it around anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This 'chapter' corresponds to the 'Interlude' in the Unexpected Guests comic; I actually came up with more puns in the comic version. A notable difference is the absence of Frisk from the written version--in the comic, they serve to help voice the ending thoughts, but here, Sans has those by himself.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk plays with Papyrus' special attack in the woods around the brothers' home--and is surprised by what an enormous skeletal dragon will find scary.

Frisk ran, skipping around trees and vaulting over fallen branches, their breath coming in sharp bursts. From behind, there was a rush of snapping and scraping footsteps—and they rolled beneath as bony talons struck from above. Landing on their feet, they took a sharp turn, giggling under their breath. There was nothing like a good game of chase.

They wove through the brush and broke out into a small field of lush grass, and tumbled down to lay in it. The attack burst from cover, its head snapping from one sign of movement to the next until it spotted its playmate in the grass and trilled, loping over to nudge them. Frisk reached up and patted its nasals, still breathless from their game; it wasn’t fair the attack didn’t have lungs.

Aware playtime was over for now, the creature rumbled lightly and curled around them in the soft grass. Frisk moved to lean against its skull and watch the clouds scoot by, trying to find shapes in them as they billowed overhead. A light breeze gently rocked the tops of the trees, their leaves flickering silver in the afternoon sun; birds called to one another in whistling duets, and Frisk soaked it all in. It was so peaceful out here—they’d often wondered why the brothers had chosen a property out on the far edge of town, but on a day like this it was easy to imagine why. It was hard to beat living in a place where you could just be yourself.

The attack gave a contented sigh. Frisk reached up to stroke its cheek, marveling at the textured bone. Papyrus really was amazing if he could summon an entire dragon from practically nothing, and then have it stick around as though it were a pet. They’d seen other monsters' magic act similarly—the mad dummy’s bullets hadn’t been good at listening, and… Reaper Bird’s… helper… had seemed to almost be its own being too. But no one had attacks that could act on their own outside of battle.

There was a lot that was unique about the skeleton brothers.

Frisk yelped as they were thrown off, and shook hair out of their eyes as the attack made odd clucking noises, its head held high as it tracked something. They followed its gaze and found… it had spotted a butterfly. It was a small white one, and its erratic fluttering seemed to be upsetting the massive bundle of bone magic—Frisk couldn’t help but laugh. They stood and jogged the few steps it took to catch the attack’s attention. They didn’t know if it could understand sign language, but it seemed to understand complicated speech well enough despite being more like an animal so it was worth a shot.

‘ _That’s a butterfly. Don’t be afraid, it can’t hurt us,_ ’ they explained with a smile, pointing to the insect as it bobbed around the field. ‘ _Be still and maybe it’ll come closer._ ’

The attack stared at them, tilting its head. It garbled, then laid its head down and only moved its eyes to watch the butterfly dart around. Frisk slowly sat in the grass and watched too, and couldn’t help but feel a little excited as the insect fluttered closer.

And then, it happened.

The butterfly’s roving path took it straight to the very tip of the special attack’s nose. The beast froze, an uncertain whine rising from it as the butterfly lingered—but Frisk’s laughter seemed to reassure it, and just like that the butterfly had taken off again. They watched it flit out of sight, and then the attack was up and bounding around the clearing, yipping happily.

‘ _I told you it was nothing to be afraid of,_ ’ Frisk signed, and the attack loped over to nuzzle them. ‘ _I don’t think you have to be afraid of anything, really._ ’

The attack seemed to coo in agreement, then turned to gaze into the distance. It clucked, then picked Frisk up by their collar like a kitten to trot through the woods. Frisk squirmed—this really wasn’t the most comfortable way to travel—but apparently they had somewhere to be and it was faster to be carried. So they dangled, and lifted their legs if the brush was too high, and it wasn’t long before they broke from the trees to see Papyrus waiting for them.

“Well, did you have fun?” he asked as the attack deposited Frisk in his arms, and they nodded.

‘ _We played chase for a while, then found a nice spot to rest. A butterfly landed on your attack’s nose, it was really cute._ ’

“A resounding success then! I’m sorry I couldn’t join you but Sans’ sock collection was really getting out of hand. ‘Putting it all in one spot on the floor’ is not an organizational system! Nyeh!”

Frisk giggled. ‘ _It is to Sans._ ’

“Tell me about it! But enough about that, I imagine you’re ready for a fine meal prepared by none other than the Great Papyrus himself, no?”

Frisk nodded eagerly—his cooking really had improved now that he wasn’t trying to fight the ingredients like Undyne had taught him.

“Of course you do! No one doesn’t! Alright, say goodbye for now you two.”

‘ _See you later, special attack!_ ’ Frisk signed, and the beast chirped brightly before leaning in to nuzzle them. They really did love it, and it seemed the feeling was mutual. Papyrus--and his attack--really were cool.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was actually posted as prose, not comic! I don't count it in the comic chapters, but for completions' sake, it's added here as well.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk decides they want to take a ride on Papyrus' attack. Things go about as well as you might expect.

“You want. To ride. My attack,” Papyrus repeated slowly, and Frisk nodded, a daring grin on their face.

“that sounds totally unsafe. toriel would never let you do it,” Sans commented from the couch, idly flipping through TV channels. “good thing we’re not toriel.”

“Sans, the former queen of all monsters has entrusted her heir to us! The disapproval we would receive… no! I can’t bear to even consider it! You may not, but I have a reputation to uphold!”

‘ _But I’d be safe with you guys, wouldn’t I? Sans made a promise,_ ’ Frisk signed.

“yup. we’ve got nothing to worry about bro.”

“No! That’s even worse!!! What if you break it?!” Papyrus cried, throwing his hands up.

“the attack’s pretty tough, i think it’ll be fine,” Sans retorted, getting a giggle out of Frisk as his brother made a distressed groan and ran a hand over his face.

“Fine. Fine! Go ride the special, very-powerful-and-entirely-not-for-playing-on attack! Just don’t come crying to me if you get hurt! Except, do, so I can heal you. But!!! Don’t say I didn’t warn you!” Papyrus stated, wagging a finger for emphasis. It did little to discourage Frisk as they ran outside with a laugh, and he pulled a deep sigh. “Sans, sometimes you are a terrible influence.”

“only sometimes?”

“Well…” Papyrus trailed, then shook his head. “You did manage to aid me in attaining my current greatness, so I suppose that counts for something.”

Sans looked ready to say something, but a rumbling whine outside cut him off. The brothers locked eyes, and got up. Jokes aside, neither of them wanted Frisk to get hurt, least of all by something they’d created. At least the scene they came upon was amusing more than anything—Frisk had wrapped their arms around the special attack’s neck and was kicking their legs as they dangled a few feet from the ground. The attack was trying to get a good look at them by arching its neck, which only raised them higher, which caused the beast to strain even more in an unwinnable cycle. Noticing its master, it gave a pleading whine and Papyrus couldn’t help but laugh.

“As always, I must intervene. Here, you buffoonerous companions, let me help.”

In moments Frisk was balanced just over the beast’s shoulders with a pillow for a saddle and secured by a rope tied around their waist. The arrangement would have decidedly not been approved by their adoptive mother, but Papyrus was confident in his abilities and after a final inspection, gave his attack the go-ahead. It looked back at the small human, tried wiggling free of its passenger one last time, then huffed and proceeded to carefully amble around the yard. But Frisk’s small giggles seemed to encourage it, and it broke into a bouncing trot.

“another job well done, bro,” Sans congratulated, and Papyrus puffed out his chest.

“But of course! Never expect anything less from me!”

They watched the attack speed past at a gallop with Frisk laughing and waving to the brothers as they passed, and Papyrus enthusiastically returned the gesture. The creature trilled happily, prancing as it turned ready to dash through the yard again—then crouched, flared its wings, and lunged forward with a flap. What it was doing didn’t sink in until it was already wheeling overhead.

And finally, reality hit.

“it can actually fly. i mean, it has wings but i didn’t think—”

“FRISK! FRISK, DO NOT PANIC, WE SHALL RESCUE YOU PROMPTLY!” Papyrus shouted, running after his attack as it swooped over the trees; Frisk’s face was barely visible but they looked just as surprised as the brothers by this turn of events.

“how are we rescuing them? uh, last i checked, neither of us can fly.”

“No! We can’t! But! We have magic!” Papyrus replied confidently. “Turn me blue!”

“wh—no way bro, i’m not throwing you,” Sans protested. “can’t you make it come down?”

“I’ve tried! And it seems my attack is having too much fun to listen!”

“gotcha. uh… fine. gimme a sec.”

Sans studied the attack’s trajectory carefully as it carved steadily wider arcs across the sky; it wouldn’t be long before they’d lose sight of it completely and have to chase it down. He nodded to himself, then spoke. “so, we got a couple options. one, i throw you up there, and risk missing. two, we turn the kid blue, and maybe bring ol’ freebird with ‘em… or we just drag the kid down. option three is honestly my pick, but it’s kinda tricky for the same reasons as one but has a better chance of actually getting you there. i just know how you feel about shortcuts.”

Papyrus frowned. “Yes, but if it’s the best option to ensure Frisk’s safety… Actually, why don’t you just bring Frisk down here? Wouldn’t that solve this whole silly thing?”

“… well, yeah. good thinking paps.” Sans squinted, and in a moment he was catching the child out of the air as though they’d been playfully thrown instead of plucked out of a moment in spacetime. He stumbled a bit under their sudden weight, and Frisk seemed like they might get sick, but Papyrus was over to steady them both in an instant.

“Well that was anti-climactic,” Papyrus announced once he was certain they’d regained their balance. “But! Frisk is safe and that’s all that matters. Now! For our other problem.”

Papyrus turned to track his attack as it continued to circle overhead. “YOU! Yes! You! Get down this instant, you heard me! You’re worse than that irritating dog!”

The attack responded with a cheerful warble, and Papyrus stomped his foot.

“Unbelievable! To think I had any hand in the creation of that beast. Hey! Get back here you lousy reptile!”

Frisk giggled at his ranting. The attack did a few more pinwheels through the sky and even managed a loop, then slowly glided down to rejoin them. Papyrus jogged over and set about removing the makeshift saddle, lecturing his familiar all the while on air safety. Sans chuckled to himself, and Frisk looked over expectantly.

“looks like papyrus is laying out some ground rules,” he relayed, and they shook their head at the pun. It only seemed to encourage him. “luckily papyrus is pretty down-to-earth. i’d hate for our dragon pal to be grounded so soon. hopefully it appreciates the gravity of the situation.”

“Sans! I can hear you punning from all the way over here! As if I didn’t have enough to worry about with a giant bony beast to wrangle! Am I never to get any respect around here?!” Papyrus cried indignantly, glaring at his brother and Frisk as the two laughed. Shaking his head, he picked up the remains of the saddle and marched inside, only to poke his head out a moment later.

“At least nothing terrible occurred, which is quite a feat! Considering we were… winging it! Nyeh heh heh heh heh!”

“i’m so proud,” Sans uttered, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye. “well, c’mon kid. let’s head in before he really takes off.”

Frisk giggled again, and gave the attack a wave as they followed Sans back inside the house. The creature watched them, raised one of its wings—and waved back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a fun chapter to write, but a little harder to draw! That said, I love silly shenanigans in any case, and this chapter is no exception. ^^


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not everything is sunshine on the surface. Night falls, and sometimes nightmares follow.
> 
> This story is called Unexpected Guests--plural--for a reason.

The house lay still; Papyrus liked these quiet times when all the world was asleep save for him and maybe Alphys—though lately she hadn’t been online so often, but she was quite busy these days so he didn’t mind. Frisk had decided to go with Undyne to the ladies’ townhouse and spend the night there, and Sans was asleep next door, so he practically had the whole house to himself. He’d never needed much sleep—perhaps to make up for his brother in some cosmic balance—so tonight was quite typical of him. It was going on 3 AM and he’d cleaned his room, organized his action figures after playing out a few hypothetical battle scenarios, and read up on his new puzzle architecture books before moving to surf the combined Inter-Undernet and post a few choice selfies.

He glanced outside, and nodded at the creature curled below when it noticed him, its glowing eyes and pale white bones gleaming in the moonlight. He’d come to love that creature like family in just the week or so it had existed—on one occasion Sans had replied to a rude comment from Undyne by telling her to ‘never talk to his brother or his brother’s son ever again’ (though it wasn’t really a child and Papyrus doubted his attack had any concept of gender, but Sans leapt at any chance to meme he got)—only affirming how integrated his companion had become already. It cared for all the same things Papyrus did, and guarded the things he held dear with a bouncy enthusiasm only he could match.

So when a heavy thud sounded from Sans’ room, they both went on high alert. Papyrus waited, motionless as he listened to muffled rapping on the walls. His attack gave a throaty chirp as it stood, then prowled to the other side of the house to investigate further. It returned shortly, uttering an urgent whine as it paced below his window before heading back out of sight. Papyrus sighed, and winced as another, crunchier sound echoed next door. The sounds only meant one thing, and it was a thing he’d been hoping had left Sans alone.

Papyrus left his chair, pulled his scarf a bit tighter around his neck, and headed out to pad down the short hall that joined their rooms. He reached the door, and frowned when a bone splintered through the wood just inches from his face. This was a bad one, and he grit his teeth as he cautiously opened the door with a low creak and crept in.

Sans lay halfway out of his bed, thrashing weakly against the sheet he’d manage to twist around himself, binding his legs and pinning his right arm awkwardly across his chest and his left at his side. Cold blue light flickered from under half-lidded eyes, and a line of bones shot through his bed, perforating the sheet and letting him slide the rest of the way to the floor. He was no less tangled though, and a summoned special attack tore into the ceiling as he fought whatever threat his mind had conjured this time.

Papyrus sighed, and began picking his way through the debris; Sans’ nightmares were always messy, but this was the worst he’d been since they’d arrived on the surface. He’d be very unhappy when he woke up, but right now, he needed to wake up. Papyrus sensed an upcoming attack, and sidestepped another line of bones as they jabbed up from the floor before he finally made it to his brother’s side.

“Sans?” he said quietly—shouting never helped—and bent to gently lay a hand on his shoulder. “Sans, you’re dreaming again, everything is alright. You don’t have to fight.”

Sans made a strangled sound, and another attack thrummed a hair from Papyrus’ skull. Apparently he hadn’t caught what he’d said, but it didn’t surprise him and he certainly didn’t give up. Flashy as they were, Sans’ attacks really weren’t that strong, and Papyrus reached over to start unwinding the sheet undaunted. Really, such a fuss over a piece of fabric…

He accidentally tugged a section too tight, and Sans’ eyes snapped open, hollow and unseeing. There was a flicker—and Papyrus found himself clinging to his brother as they whirled in the trash tornado Sans had _insisted_ on bringing with him from the Underground. Maybe now he’d get rid of it—as soon as they got out of it.

“Sans!” Papyrus shouted—the time for being quiet had passed—“Sans wake up! Come on, sleepy skull, you’ll get us both hurt!”

Sans’ eye flared in a cyan-yellow blaze, and Papyrus glimpsed another special attack manifest. An idea occurred to him and with a frustrated groan, he wrapped his brother in his arms and turned himself blue. They landed in a heap on the floor as fanged jaws snapped where they’d been tumbling only moments ago. A low growl rumbled through the room, and Papyrus skittered away towards the bed, Sans still cradled in his arms. He could hardly believe his eyes, but there it was.

It was like his special attack—which was uttering worried yelps outside—but heavily built and wingless, with a more compact body and sturdier limbs. It coiled around the room, jaws clattering threateningly and watching as Papyrus held his brother close and turned to shield him with his own body. Papyrus gazed back, jaw set and ready to deal with whatever his brother’s attack did next.

It studied, and judged, rings of cold light boring through him to determine his intent… and then it moaned, lowering its head and crawling forward to rest its jaws across Papyrus’ knees. He gave a relieved smile and stroked just above the beast’s eye before shifting to start freeing his brother, carefully unwinding the ruined sheet.

“wh… papyrus…” Sans murmured, his eyelids fluttering, and Papyrus smiled at him.

“There you are, brother. You had another one of those nightmares.”

“oh… geez…” was all he managed, squeezing his eyes shut.

“Do you remember what it was about? You were in some distress.”

Sans was quiet for a while, and Papyrus thought he’d gone back to sleep until he spoke again. “i… heh… so, uh, never let anyone use green soul magic on me again, ok bro?”

“Hm?” Papyrus asked, then put two and two together. “Oh—oh no, I’m sorry brother, I’ll give Undyne a stern lecture the next time I see her, which will be today. I don’t think she knew. I also didn’t realize how much it bothered you.”

“yeah… hey, how’d you get bonejangles in here?”

“What? I told you we’re not calling it that!” Papyrus protested, finally pulling the rest of the sheet free and shaking it out. A ketchup bottle bounced to the floor. “No, in your throes tonight, you summoned your very own full-bodied attack!”

Sans stared at his creation, finally fully awake. “dude. whoa.”

It purred a happy rumble at him. There was a higher trill from outside, and Papyrus got up to open the window. His special attack was just tall enough to poke its head in curiously, eyes wide as it studied the scene.

“Yes, we’re alright,” Papyrus assured, “and look! You have a brother now! Well, in a manner of speaking anyway.”

Sans’ attack rose to greet its not-quite-sibling, and the two sniffed at each other before making happy trilling noises and settling down. Papyrus helped his brother sit at the edge of his bed, and they took in the damage in the moonlight.

“welp. so much for this house being nice,” Sans sighed, eyeing the scattered bones and debris sadly. He waved a hand, and the bones dissolved, leaving loose drywall and shredded carpet behind.

“It just means we can work to make it even nicer!” Papyrus said cheerfully, hugging his brother close. “Really Sans, I just wish you would express yourself when you’re awake rather than saving it all for your dreams.”

“heh, maybe… oof,” Sans uttered, shutting his eyes and swaying. “i think i expressed myself too much. can you hand me that ketchup?”

Papyrus sighed, but obliged, picking up the bottle that had been tangled with the sheet. He shook it experimentally and frowned. “I am afraid, dear brother, that it is empty. Wait! Allow me to retrieve leftovers from the fridge. In the meantime you can acquaint yourself with your new pet!”

He darted out, and Sans let himself flop back. “well pal… here you are. didn’t think i had it in me, heh. based on how i feel… i definitely don’t anymore.”

The bulky creature chuffed in a strange sort of laugh.

“glad to see you got my sense of humor. i know i was dreamin’ about some pretty nasty stuff, but i guess we can smile our way through anything, heh...”

There was a clatter downstairs, and the creature growled.

“geez buddy, you’re a jumpy sort. i can’t blame ya though, not when you’re made from me bein’ scared half to death. don’t worry though, you know it’s just the bro.”

The attack settled down, rumbling in agreement.

Papyrus finally returned bearing a plate of pasta—a far improved recipe over what he used to make—and offered it to his brother, and they sat together quietly for a while as Sans recovered his strength. He set the plate aside when he was done and leaned back on his hands, studying the creature that was almost too big for his room. He might have a permanent roommate.

“man. undyne and the kid are gonna flip.”

“They most definitely will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy, this was a really fun one. I don't like re-treading some of the more common tropes people use in Undertale fanworks--and at least for a while, it was really common to give Sans nightmares as a source of angst... but I couldn't think of a more logical way to get his attack into the story, so that's what ended up happening. Poor Sans.... Anyway, with two skeletal dragon creatures, needless to say the brothers have their hands full.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Undyne, Alphys and Frisk meet Sans' blaster, and it goes well... until laser pointers are involved.

Undyne had to run off into the distance to shout expletives when she, Frisk, and Alphys visited that afternoon. The pair of special attacks had watched her go, and tilted their heads in unison at her distant shouts before looking back to the others in confusion. Frisk giggled at the skeletal creatures’ antics as much as Undyne’s, and Alphys snorted into her hands.

“yup, that’s about what i figured she’d do,” Sans said. “what do you think, kiddo?”

‘ _It’s awesome! Can I pet it?_ ’ they signed happily, and he shrugged.

“you can try. mine’s not as friendly as my brother’s.”

Frisk looked from him to his attack, thinking all the while. They smiled as they formulated a plan, and walked over to Papyrus’ attack. Already familiar with them, the lanky beast knelt to let them scratch behind its horns, and they ignored the low hiss that rose from its kin. They felt its eyes drilling into their back, and laughed softly, remembering all the times Sans had watched them warily. As affable as he was, he wasn’t nearly as trusting as he liked to make himself out to be, and it made sense his attack—a raw expression of his soul—would be the same way.

Papyrus’ attack gave a contented purr, and finally the other relaxed, approaching slowly and nosing Frisk in the small of their back. It had decided it wanted pets too, and Frisk was happy to provide them. They’d been voted as ‘best petter’ by the Snowdin dogs, after all. After only a few minutes, the huge beast had flopped down and fallen asleep.

“Incredible,” Papyrus stated. “Your attack is just as lazy as you, Sans!”

“is that really a surprise,” Sans retorted.

“I-it really shouldn’t be,” Alphys confirmed with a smile. “S-since our magic is linked so closely to us… a-and, these constructs are technically just extensions of you two, it’s no wonder they have s-some of your personality traits as well. At the same time, they can obviously think for themselves. It’s pretty amazing.”

“It is, isn’t it?” Papyrus said proudly. “Ah, there’s Undyne. Undyne! Have you recovered from your shouting fit?”

“Yeah,” Undyne coughed, skirting around the spiny creatures her friends had summoned. “I can’t believe your brother actually did that?! I mean, how? We ALL agreed he wouldn’t be up for it, but…!”

“Yes! It’s astounding when he puts effort into something, isn’t it?” Papyrus said brightly, then turned serious. “But, that is something we need to discuss… I do not like being stern with you, Undyne, as you are my dear friend as well as my superior.”

“Not anymore dude,” Undyne protested softly, shaking her head. “We’re just friends now! But whatever, keep talking.”

“Well… it pains me very much, but I must ask that you never use green soul magic on my brother ever again. I don’t know the details, but he summoned that special attack in reaction to the events of a nightmare centered on such magic,” Papyrus explained, clasping his hands. Frisk looked to his brother, who stood with eyes downcast.

“Oh man, I’m sorry,” Undyne said, scratching the back of her neck as she turned to Sans. “I know some people feel claustrophobic when it hits, but geez… I know ‘sorry’ can’t make up for it if it affected you that badly, so… is there ANY other way I can make it up to you?”

“well, like my bro said, never do it again for one. but taking me out to grillby’s every week for a month might help me forgive ya,” Sans said with a wink.

“No, I forbid it!” Papyrus, said, stomping a foot.

“hey, she said anything. i could have her carry me around so i don’t have to walk, or organize my sock collection, or maybe even take trombone lessons from me--but if we’re talking reasonable things maybe she should patch up my room, since she sorta caused that,” Sans teased, and Undyne ran a hand down her face.

“FINE! I’ll do that, but ONLY because I’ve had to fix my OWN house a TON and it would actually be EASY. OKAY?!”

“sounds like we got a deal. anyway, what brings you lovely ladies and neutral over today?”

"W-well, for one, we were d-dropping Frisk off, but, we got to talking last night, and... I have a really big p-presentation coming up! Th-the humans are really interested in the Core a-and magic and everything like that, s-so Asgore asked me if I'd b-be able to, um, give a little t-talk about monster science. I-I might not... be the royal scientist anymore... b-but, I was! S-so I'm the most qualified! Ha... ha..."

"You got this Alph," Undyne encouraged, then continued for her. "Frisk remembered that Sans kinda likes science stuff and might be able to help, so we figured we'd come hang out and she can give us a practice speech!"

“sounds good,” Sans replied, “but you sure it wasn’t just to watch anime?”

‘ _Pretty sure,_ ’ Frisk signed with a knowing smile. ‘ _Though once Alphys is done that’s not out of the question._ ’

"Well, there'll be no animes until Alphys has presented her presentation! Let's get the movie screen set up!" Papyrus declared, and the others agreed.

Said 'movie screen' was just a sheet stretched out against the side of the house. Alphys had set up her pocket projector and readied her slideshow, and everyone got comfortable on the grass. She cleared her throat a couple times, then began.

"U-um, well, welcome everyone to this, uh, little talk... So! M-my name's Alphys, I was the royal scientist appointed by King Asgore. As royal scientist, it was my job to study the magical barrier that sealed monster kind under Mt. Ebott, invent and study things that could improve overall quality of life, and maintain the Core--and that's what I'm here to tell you all about!"

"But we already know all that stuff!" Papryus spoke up, and Alphys smiled.

"Ha ha, w-well, yeah, but I'm giving the talk like you're the humans I'm a-actually going to be talking to. So, pretend you don't know any of this!"

"Oh! Okie! I don't know anything!" Papyrus said brightly, settling back down.

"Th-thanks," Alphys said, then continued on, flipping through slides that showed pictures of the Underground, the Core, and her lab as she gave a quick overview of magic, the monster kingdom's history, and its various advances. Frisk was surprised to learn the Core was so old--it seemed so futuristic, unlike anything humans had ever built, but construction had started over sixty years ago. The group of friends applauded when she finished.

"W-well? How'd I do?"

"Awesome babe!" Undyne was quick to say. "Though, if this is supposed to be a professional presentation... maybe DON'T have Mew Mew Kissy Cutie as your desktop!"

Alphys opened her mouth, then shut it. "R-right. Um. Good p-point. How was it for time?"

"Sans fell asleep within three minutes," Papyrus relayed helpfully.

"Um... that's not... uh..."

"i'd say it went for about an hour," Sans spoke up, apparently not asleep at all. "not too bad, considering how much you had to cover. you did a good job condensing the whole arcano-quantum exchange theorem into something comprehensible."

"Th-thanks Sans, that one was definitely tricky," Alphys said, scratching her head.

Undyne scoffed. "Wow Sans, you actually know this stuff? Frisk just said you liked science, not that you're a TOTAL NERD!"

"i'll have you know i'm only a casual nerd," Sans retorted.

' _Most of it went over my head,_ ' Frisk admitted. ' _Does science usually have so much math in it?_ '

"I didn't even get into half of it," Alphys stated. "We're talking particle physics here, that's almost nothing _but_ math."

"yep. it takes a pretty _fermi_ understanding to get anywhere in that field," Sans added with a wink, and his brother groaned.

"If that's your idea of helping brother, Alphys's chances of success are... un-good. Lucky for her I'm here!"

"but bro, you know telling puns is one of my better quarks."

Alphys choked with laughter. "Oh! My god! Those are terrible, Sans. Ha, but, s-sorry Papyrus, d-did you have something else to say?"

Papyrus grunted. "I did, in fact! I think you should have cool pictures of us when you talk about magic, posing awesomely while we use our best attacks! Also, you could use a laser pointer. Lasers are made of science! It'd be very scientific of you."

Alphys giggled. "It would help, especially since the screen I'll actually be presenting on is a lot bigger. Thanks, Papyrus."

"Always happy to help! That's the Papyrus difference!"

"If Alphys is gonna have pictures of us, we've gotta take 'em first! Come on Papyrus, ready for a rematch?" Undyne challenged, leaping to her feet.

"O-oh, um, c-can I... take the pictures?"

"DUH! You're like, the BEST at pics. These are going to be the most AWESOME scientific figures EVER!"

Alphys chuckled. "Oh yeah. Sans, Frisk, you wanna watch this?"

"eh, i'll pass. i don't wanna get _entangled_ with any fights again, if you know what i mean," Sans replied, and Alphys snorted. "think i'm just gonna hang here with the attacks, they seem pretty happy just chilling."

"Okay, th-though, don't be surprised if they, um, get borrowed," Alphys warned playfully.

' _I'll come watch! I'll make sure you guys don't get into trouble,_ ' Frisk teased, getting up, and together they and Alphys headed for where Undyne and Papyrus were squaring off again.

Sans laid back to doze, and watched as his attack did the same--though it did strategically angle itself so it could keep an eye on the distant action. It wasn't long before Papyrus' got too curious about what all the activity was about and got up to check it out, which didn't come as a surprise either. It loved being the center of attention.

As the sun fell, photo ops became a marathon of the latest anime Alphys had found—something about controlling giant robots with magic ice skates—that lasted most of the night. About halfway through, Papyrus apparently couldn’t take the ridiculous premise any longer and retired to his room, and the rest of the group merely crashed on the couch for the night; Undyne had curled around Alphys in an adorable ball, Frisk was using her leg as a pillow and Sans, in turn, had propped his legs up over theirs.

This cozy arrangement proved unfortunate when Papyrus woke them up bright and early.

“Alright! Enough napping! Up, you lazybones! And I don’t just mean you, Sans!”

Undyne startled, tumbling from the couch and bringing Alphys down with her; her leg kicked out, nailing Frisk in the chin and knocking them into the cushions. Only Sans remained seemingly unperturbed, and Papyrus was left staring in awe at the havoc he’d inadvertently caused.

“Geez Papyrus, give us some kind of warning before you do something like that!” Undyne barked as she carefully raised herself from a slightly squished Alphys. “Uh, anyway, good morning, I guess.”

‘ _Good morning Papyrus_ ,’ Frisk signed clumsily, rubbing their jaw and wincing as they smiled. ‘ _Talk about kicking the day off_.’

“Oh. My. God.” Papyrus glared at them. “Just because Sans isn’t awake yet doesn’t mean you need to fill in for him! Nyeh!”

“nah, i’m awake. good one, kiddo,” Sans said, lifting an eyelid. “morning, everyone.”

“It is indeed morning Sans! Something you’re not often awake for unless I intervene. And! That also means! Breakfast! We still have work to do, especially after all the slacking off you guys did last night!” Papyrus informed brightly. “So! Let’s get crackin’! Because breakfast today is omelets!”

Sans snickered at his brother’s pun. “it’s gonna be eggs-ellent, bro. no yolk.”

“No! It’s too early for this!” Papyrus howled, fleeing to the kitchen to get started. Undyne chuckled, shaking her head and stretching before helping Alphys get to her feet.

“I-is it always so lively here…?” Alphys murmured sleepily, and Undyne laughed again.

“Yep. C’mon babe, let’s help Papyrus. I gotta make sure he remembers his training!”

“O-oh… ok,” the reptilian scientist replied blearily, nestling into Undyne’s shoulder as she picked her up and carried her into the kitchen.

Frisk glanced back at Sans, who seemed to have fallen back asleep, shrugged, and rose to join their friends in what was sure to be an entertaining, if perhaps slightly dangerous, cooking session. There was actually less fire than usual, and Undyne only got a couple of eggs on the ceiling, and the omelets turned out okay in the end so overall breakfast was a success. They worked together to clean up, and then Undyne and Frisk headed back outside for an encore of Alphys' talk.

"... The Core was designed like a giant puzzle with sliding, interchangeable rooms that allow for a number of configurations. Even when we move these sections around, the Core can continue operating at... normal capacity... so... u-uh..."

Frisk watched Alphys’ laser pointer flick over her slide, then freeze. Alphys had trailed off mid-sentence, and was staring at something behind them. Frisk turned to look.

It was Sans’ attack, crouched with eyes locked on Alphys.

Undyne turned to see what everyone was staring at. “Oh no.”

For one tense moment no one dared to move or speak, but then Alphys made a weird choking sound. The little red dot of the laser pointer darted past Frisk to hover just between the attack’s forelegs, and it jerked back with a cry. They watched as the beast swatted at the laser dot and hiss when the elusive little thing sped away unharmed. It lunged again, meeting with the same result—the red light remained at large.

Alphys descended into snorting laughter. Undyne looked like she’d seen the best thing in her life, and leapt to borrow the laser pointer when Alphys couldn’t hold it straight anymore. In her hands, the laser looped and circled at dizzying speeds even Frisk couldn’t keep track of; undaunted, the attack pounced after it, tearing up the grass and leaving divots in the yard. At one point, she turned it off, and the creature froze in place, head turning and tilting like a bird’s as it searched for the infuriating light. Then it reappeared—right on its hand—and the game begin anew.

“I-I c-can’t believe that works!” Alphys exclaimed, still giggling. “Imagine the cat videos we could make with this guy!”

“I’ll get the camera!” Undyne hollered, stepping back to plant the laser pointer in her girlfriend’s hand, but as she passed it off the attack gave a defeated groan and slumped down on the grass. “Oh… hey, what gives?”

‘ _I think it’s tired,_ ’ Frisk reasoned, watching as the attack lolled onto its side and drew a deep breath. ‘ _Or maybe it’s smart enough to realize it couldn’t catch the laser._ ’

“I-I guess it’s possible,” Alphys mused as she tucked the pointer back into her pocket. “Still, that was a-mazing.”

“Hello, my adoring friends! After an arduous and impromptu game of hide and seek, I have finally acquired my brother,” Papyrus boasted as he rounded the corner, Sans tucked under his arm, only to stop as he observed the scene. “This doesn’t look like a science.”

“Papyrus! Aw man, you missed it, but, Sans’ attack TOTALLY chased a laser around just like in those cat videos, it was THE BEST thing!” Undyne bellowed, grinning broadly and practically bouncing.

“oh my god, really?” Sans spoke up, apparently not asleep after all. “that’s hilarious.”

“It WAS!” Undyne agreed, fists clenched. "I dunno if we can get it to do it again, it might've figured it out."

"yeah, my attack's pretty sharp," Sans said, and Papyrus glared at him. "i'm kinda sad i missed it though."

"It was hi-larious," Undyne stated with a decisive nod. "I guess it's back to work though."

"U-um, actually though... I th-think I'm doing p-pretty good," Alphys piped up. "Once I get into a groove, i-it's easy. Of c-course, it might be different... once I'm standing in front of a hundred people... ha ha..."

"When you're up on stage, just remember this little trick!" Papyrus offered brightly. "Imagine the entire crowd..."

"Is... um... n-naked?"

"What?! No! That's really weird! Who does that? I was going to say you should imagine the entire crowd is a friendly, helpful skeleton who will believe in you no matter what!"

"Aw, Papyrus. Thanks," Alphys said with a smile, and he posed proudly.

"Hmm... I'm thinking you need some kind of demonstration," Undyne piped up. "Talk is all well and good, but what if you showed them something up close and personal?"

"That's not a b-bad idea, but I don't know what I could do..."

"I dunno... maybe practical stuff, like... me lifting Sans' attack over my head!"

The attack perked up and rolled over, eyes narrowed at Undyne. It snorted, then lumbered off, and Sans couldn't help a laugh.

"pretty sure that's a 'nope'."

Undyne shrugged. "Eh, I'll do it eventually. I know! Let's make one of those baking soda volcanoes! That's sciency, right, and Mt. Ebott is a volcano. And it explodes!"

"Undyne, th-that's not really p-part of the talk or how vol--"

"EXPLOSIONS!!!"

"Pff, okay. I... don't think I'm going to use it, but, it would be fun to do anyway."

"I'll get the paper mache!" Papyrus volunteered, bustling off.

"Oh yeah. Let's do this!" Undyne hollered, leaping up to help collect materials.

Frisk giggled--so much for any real work getting done. At least their friends were having fun, and they'd always wanted to make one of those volcanoes anyway. They did have to wonder though... why did Sans know so much obscure science stuff anyway? He had that secret lab with the strange machine... but it'd seemed like he hadn't been in there for a long time. Maybe it just wasn't that important to him anymore. They'd probably never find out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter probably has some of the most changes between comic and fic versions--the fic version obviously takes place over a couple days, while the comic... doesn't. But I streamline the story when I can to make it easier on myself, and it means this chapter has a bunch of bonus content.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Toriel makes her entrance! But things don't get off on quite the right foot.

Toriel eyed the skeletal creatures sternly, her nose wrinkled and lips pursed as she looked each directly in their glowing irises. The attacks stared back, eye sockets wide as they sat stock-still on their haunches out on the front lawn, unsure what to make of the powerful monster that had just put them in their place. Clumps of dirt were wedged in their joints, singed spots dotted their bones, and that wasn’t even the whole picture. The rest of the aftermath littered the yard, dark lines scorched into the grass and upturned turf scattered wide—Papyrus was standing not far away with his jaw hanging at the devastation wrought upon his property.

“I expect an apology,” Toriel finally demanded, folding her arms as she addressed the skeletal beasts. Papyrus’ whimpered, finally breaking eye contact to dip its head, and Sans’ gave a mournful rumble as it sunk to lay on the grass. It had all been a misunderstanding anyway.

Toriel had come to pick Frisk up from their extended sleepover with the brothers, and in their rush to meet her the child had tripped and landed hard on their knees. A cry of pain was all it took for Sans’ attack to snap into action. It had vaulted over the house, twisting catlike to land on its feet and face the unknown threat with a guttural snarl. Toriel had whirled, keeping herself between her child and the creature, flames erupting around her as she bared her own fangs. Then Papyrus’ attack skidded in from around the corner, attracted by the noise, and in the few seconds it took Sans and Papyrus themselves to appear their front yard had descended into a whirlwind of fire and lasers.

“welp. that sure was a thing. sorry tori,” Sans uttered, shuffling from the house with Frisk in tow; the child sported a set of neon bandages on each knee, but they looked more concerned about what had happened on the lawn.

“These beings do seem to regret their actions. I have accepted their apology,” Toriel answered, brushing a smudge of ash from her sleeve as she turned to address her friend. “Now, I demand an explanation. What are these, and what is my child doing around such dangerous things?”

“heh, so, funny story—”

“They’re our attacks!” Papyrus blurted, breaking out of his daze. “They’re not normally this badly behaved! They’re not even normally… like this!”

Between the two skeletons and Frisk, they explained how the attacks had come to be. Toriel listened intently, occasionally glancing at the creatures, who were still rooted to the spot some yards away and avoided eye contact with her. It was hard to believe these were the same beasts that had attacked her with unforgiving fury, and yet her friends were telling her only yesterday the lankier of the two had tripped over its own tail, and the shorter had tried climbing a tree and gotten branches so tangled in its bones Sans had to relocate it with a shortcut.

“so yeah. that’s about all of it,” Sans summed up, and his brother nodded.

“Please don’t be mad at them! They’re good giant dragon-things usually, they were just scared for Frisk!” Papyrus repeated, wringing his hands. “But mostly I’m glad no one was hurt!”

“It does worry me that Sans’ is so… eager to attack,” Toriel began, noting her friend’s shoulders sank as she continued, “but it does indeed seem that both were only concerned for my child.”

“yeah. the blasters care a lot about them, it’s pretty cute,” Sans said, and his brother blinked.

“I thought we agreed to call them special attacks,” Papyrus whispered, but it was the sort of whisper everyone could hear.

“uh. we did.”

‘ _They’re really called blasters?_ ’ Frisk asked, and the shorter skeleton shrugged.

“sure. blasters, special attacks, it doesn’t really matter. i keep telling papyrus we need to give ‘em real names… but he doesn’t like any of the ones i suggest.”

“Because they’re all terrible!” Papyrus shouted, crossing his arms. “Anyway, sorry about all this Lady Toriel, I’m sure you and Frisk are quite ready to go home.”

“Well, I certainly was not expecting to—oh!”

Toriel was interrupted by Papyrus’ blaster cautiously nuzzling her arm. She stepped away quickly, and it crept back with a sad fluting call, bright eyes dimming in disappointment. Toriel looked from it to Papyrus, who wore a bittersweet smile and fidgeted before she turned back to the creature. Wearing a small smile, she extended her paw, and the empty curve of her palm was instantly filled by the arch of the attack’s sagittal crest as it purred happily. She stole a glance at the other attack as she ran her hand over the smooth bone, noting it watched her with a weary, sad look that felt familiar.

“I think, given the time and all that has happened, perhaps tea would be in order, if that would be alright?”

“That is a splendid idea!” Papyrus agreed, and so the small, beleaguered group retreated inside. Sans trailed behind, and as Toriel looked back to check on him she realized why his attack’s expression had seemed familiar. She hung back and laid a paw on his shoulder, and they went inside together.

Tea turned into dinner, and there was almost another battle over the kitchen as Papyrus insisted on being the perfect host but Toriel had missed cooking for her family. They settled on a compromise though, and no one could complain about the spaghetti that ended up on their plates that evening. There was still light in the day—Toriel had forgotten how long the sun hung in the sky during summer, and it could make the breath catch in her throat if she paused to think about it—but Papyrus and Frisk used it to dash outside after their dishes had been put away to work on cleaning up the yard. She glanced out the window and couldn’t help but chuckle as Papyrus’ attack watched them closely and seemed to be trying to help.

She turned from the window to join Sans on the couch where he was blankly staring at the TV.

“I know I said as much at dinner, but thank you for watching over Frisk,” she began, and he blinked from his daze.

“what? oh, yeah, it was nothing. everyone’s had a good time.”

“It warms my heart to hear… but…” Toriel paused to gather her thoughts. “It seems to me you did not have as good a time as everyone else.”

“psh, you’re still worried about my nightmare? what are you, my mom?” Sans teased, earning quiet laughter from his friend.

“That’s no way to speak to me, young man! Go to your room!” Toriel teased back, and they both shared a laugh before she continued. “Really though, experiencing the fury of your attack, and knowing its origins, it should not surprise you that I am concerned. You did not share many details of your dream, and you are a dear friend—to think something is troubling you so…”

“nah, i’m fine. i’ve been dealing with nightmares since i was a kid, it’s no biggie,” Sans replied with a shrug. “the whole ‘summoning an entire mythical beast’ is new, but to be honest i think i just stole the idea from my bro. it’s not that complicated.”

Toriel gave an uncertain hum. “If you say so, my friend. Just know that you may tell me anything; I have led a long life and there is not much that could surprise me.”

“you might be surprised,” Sans said with a wink, earning more laughter. “really though, we couldn’t let the surface get too boring, now could we?”

“As if such a thing ever could be,” Toriel said wistfully.

Further conversation was cut off as Frisk and Papyrus clattered back in, covered in suspicious amounts of dirt and wearing sheepish grins.

“We, may have been a little zealous in our reconstruction efforts,” Papyrus explained, tenting his fingers while Frisk brushed themselves off.

“Oh?” Toriel prompted, and the tall skeleton looked aside.

“There may be a new puzzle in the yard. And by ‘may be’, I mean ‘definitely be’. Frisk had very helpful input about the design and I have every confidence they’ll become a famous puzzle architect one day!”

“that’s awesome, bro. that’ll keep any traveling salespeople on their toes for sure.”

“Indeed! It’s just what the yard needed to really pull the look together,” Papyrus declared proudly, and Frisk nodded.

“I am glad to hear you spent your time constructively my child, but I’m afraid it is time we headed home,” Toriel said, standing. “Go get washed up, I will collect your things. Brothers, thank you again, and this evening has been most pleasant as always. I do not expect it will be long before we meet again though.”

“It’s been my pleasure! And Sans’ pleasure! You are welcome anytime, anyplace! But especially here, nyeh heh!”

The brothers stood on the porch waving when it came time for Toriel and her adopted child to finally leave, and even the blasters came from around the back to watch them go. Sans was first to head back in, but Papyrus waited until the little blue station wagon Toriel drove had vanished completely before he retreated himself. Sans was nowhere to be seen, but he wasn’t surprised—it’d been a relatively eventful day and his brother was never one for much action. It seemed like he’d had a nice chat with Toriel, and Papyrus decided not to think about how many bad puns that conversation had contained. Perhaps not that many, now that he thought about it—Toriel had been wearing such a solemn expression when he’d come in.

Perhaps they’d had a very deep conversation on the nature of puns.

If such a thing were possible.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk finds a flower in the garden they didn't think they'd see again, and they have a very, very... interesting... conversation.

It’d been a while since Frisk had been able to check on the garden. They wove through the burgeoning landscape eagerly; there were always new bugs, new blooms, and all kinds of things to poke around in, and Toriel had done an incredible job of picking flowers that complimented each other so it was beautiful to boot. They’d started this garden together not long after their adoptive mom had found the little craftsman cottage; it was just down the street from where she wanted to open her school, was big enough for the two of them and sometimes their friends, and the back yard had been begging for someone to add a little life to it.

Today, though, there was something new to the garden but not Frisk. They slowly approached the bank of greenery where the yellow flower waited, their face blank as mixed feelings swirled in their heart. On the one hand, they were glad he hadn’t stayed all alone down there, but on the other, he’d caused so much trouble and hurt their friends so badly…. Well, they’d better see what he wanted.

“Howdy Frisk!” Flowey greeted cheerfully, pulling a wide smile.

‘ _What are you doing here?_ ’ they asked, stopping just short of a friendly distance away.

“Why, I had to check up on my best friend, hee hee!” he replied in a singsong voice, bobbing on his stem. “Aren’t ya glad to see me, Frisk? We had so much fun together!”

Frisk pulled a face. ‘ _Sure we did._ ’

Flowey held his wide smile until it was unconvincing, then dropped it. “Listen, Frisk…”

He paused for a while, obviously thinking hard about what he was about to say, and Frisk approached him and crouched, ready to hear whatever it was.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking after we broke the barrier. I thought I could just... stay behind. Think about what I'd done and look after... the flowers, you know? But... to be honest... that got pretty boring. Flowers can take care of themselves pretty well. I mean, that's not really why I was there, but..."

' _That's where the first fallen human was buried, wasn't it? Your best friend._ '

Flowey looked up at them. "...Yeah. I guess Toriel thought she was being poetic or something, picking that spot. But... my friend isn't there anymore, so it's just boring. I... I really can't take it anymore."

' _So you came up here just to see how I was doing, huh?_ '

"I mean, it's not like I really care! But I figured whatever you were up to had to be more exciting than literally watching grass grow," Flowey said with a smirk before turning solemn again. "I... I like to think my old friend would want me to go, too. They really hated humans, but they wanted monsters to see the surface... so they wouldn't want me to be cooped up in that cave anymore either, right? After all we went through, it... feels like I'd be doing their memory a disservice. If humans have some kind of afterlife... I hope they're happy, wherever they are."

Frisk rubbed the side of their head. ' _I think they are. And to be honest... I guess I'm glad you're here too. It'd be nice to have someone who understands what resetting was like._ '

Flowey looked up at them. "Really? Well... I can't promise I'll be a good friend, or even a good person--and you know I can’t be _him_ ever again, right? Unless… unless it all gets reset, and you play that way again to bring that version of me back. But… I can't stay that way, and... I… don’t think I want you to go back? Does that make sense? You made me rethink everything, and see how awful I’d been, and… I don’t want to forget that.”

' _I know... and I don't want you to either,_ ' Frisk replied, nodding fervently. ‘ _I don’t want to reset. I promised myself._ ’

Flowey perked up. “Really? Huh…. I thought maybe you’d get like me… and… whenever you got bored… poof! Back to do it all again, ha ha… and you still might, you know.”

Frisk gave a knowing nod. ‘ _I’ll admit… I’ve thought about it here and there. There’s still so much I wanted to explore, but seeing everyone so happy and finally having… having a real family. It’s not fair to take that away, is it? I just always wondered if there was a way for you to be happy too. I want to try and help everyone be happy, if I can._ ’

Flowey sighed. “I dunno if I can ever really be ‘happy’ that way, Frisk… but you’re right. Being up here with everything has _got_ to be more fun than staring at a wall all day and moping. And hey! You know… when I did have the power to reset, I explored every possible thing I could. So if you’re determined—hee hee—to not reset, but you’ve got a burning question that almost makes you want to… your pal Flowey just might have the answer for ya! How’s that sound?”

Frisk thought for a bit, then pulled a smirk. ‘ _We’ll have to call you Google-y, since you know everything._ ’

“No! Ugh! That’s a stupid name if I ever heard one!” Flowey spat, shaking back and forth. “Just awful! See if I ever help you with anything again!”

Frisk gave a soft laugh, and shook their head. ‘ _I’m joking! I’m actually really glad you want to stay—life on the surface has definitely been pretty exciting._ ’

Flowey went from indignant quivering to an eager lean. “Hey! So don’t hold out on me! Tell me what’s happened!”

And so Frisk recounted their life since the barrier’s shattering—their stint as ambassador, Mettaton’s incredible TV debut, Toriel’s plans for an integrated monster-human school, how Alphys had been rehired as scientific consultant and was working to bring clean energy to humanity. Asgore had been slowly hammering out legalities with the human government, and just about everything had worked out even more peacefully than he ever could have dreamed. But Flowey looked sort of unimpressed by it all until they got to more recent events.

‘ _Oh, and a few weeks ago I finally got to see Papyrus use his special attack. I guess it’s not supposed to be a whole dragon thing, but—_ ’

“WAIT wait wait,” Flowey broke in. “He did _what_ with his attack?”

Frisk gave him a look. ‘ _His special attack came out different than usual, I guess? It’s this huge, long, dragon skeleton creature. It’s got wings, and really long legs, and a super long tail, and it’s really friendly. Sans made one too actually, but his is a lot different.’_

“What.”

‘ _Yeah, it’s smaller, and a lot spikier… I guess I’d call it a dragon too, but it’s not exactly like any regular dragons I know of. It has to get to know you before it’ll let you pet it but it’s still good, and likes to take naps just like Sans does, it’s pretty funny._ ’

“I don’t care about what they’re like,” Flowey snapped. “You’re telling me those skeletons did something ELSE weird? With their blasters this time?!”

Frisk lowered a brow. ‘ _Well… yeah?_ ’

Flowey looked like he’d have stomped his feet if he’d had them. “Unbelievable! One more thing I’ll never figure out about them! Listen Frisk, since you didn’t mess around I never got to warn you, but that smi—Sans, he’s trouble. Maybe it’s better I DON’T tell you, but I’m _still_ angry about what he did…!”

Frisk waited the little temper tantrum out. Flowey had changed, but not much. He seemed to calm down quickly though, and Frisk pressed him for answers. ‘ _Sans is trouble huh? I know he’s a troll, but it’s all in good fun so I guess I don’t get what you mean._ ’

“Oh yeah, he’s a REAL wise guy. He acts all harmless and friendly, and if you can stand his awful jokes he’s not too bad,” Flowey elaborated, then pulled a sardonic smile. “If we’re still friends at all Frisk, listen very carefully and trust me when I say: NEVER tell Sans what you can do, and NEVER fight him. He cheats like you wouldn’t believe!”

‘ _I can see that,_ ’ Frisk said with a shrug. ‘ _He’s done more than a few shady things._ ’

“No, you don’t get it! Okay, so I probably deserved it, but he’s brutal if he fights for real. There’s a reason his blasters don’t look like cute puppies. A monster’s magic reflects who or what they are, right? And Sans has bones, blue magic, and laser dragon things.”

‘ _So does Papyrus,_ ’ Frisk pointed out, and he sighed.

“Yeah. He doesn't think any of the weird stuff he does is weird, but I have to wonder... because h _e’d_ be strong if he actually tried, but he always holds back… almost like he’s afraid. But his blaster doesn’t look nearly as wicked as Sans’ does. It’s kinda unnerving, but that’s about it—it’s not really intimidating. No fangs, big goofy eyes, kinda dull horns—not exactly scary, right?”

‘ _Well, no…_ ’

“Yeah. My point is, whatever’s up with Sans is a lot more to be worried about than you think. For whatever reason, he doesn’t take kindly to people who can reset.”

Frisk sat back on their heels, pondering what Flowey had said. ‘ _I guess he did say if he hadn't made a promise to Toriel, that... I'd be dead where I stand_. _But… he knows I can reset. I told him I was a time traveler, and he let me into his room, and this secret lab he has? I don’t know what it’s all for, but for some reason, me telling him that let him trust me enough to show me. So… I don’t know what to think._ ’

Flowey considered their words. “…Huh. I never found anything like that, Frisk. I told him I was a time traveler too—can you believe his code words? But he never said I could go anywhere special. Not that I could get into their house anyway. Weird.”

The two sat quietly for a while, puzzling over these two disparate sides of Sans. It was Flowey who broke the still.

“Hey, you wanna know something else weird about the blasters? I did some poking around outside of the save file—yeah, that’s a thing you can do—and found… well, I won’t tell you EVERYTHING yet, but, I found a lot of secrets. And the blasters aren’t just called blasters. They’re actually called Gaster Blasters.”

Frisk blinked at him. ‘ _Gaster…?_ ’

“Yeah, I dunno either, actually. I never found anything or anyone with that name in all my resets, it’s weird.”

‘ _No—I know that name._ ’

Flowey stared at them flatly. “You mean you found something ELSE I didn’t?”

‘ _I guess so? It was… really weird, but, I met this monster that talked about someone named Gaster,_ ’ Frisk began. ‘ _I’m creeped out all over again just thinking about it. They just… vanished before my eyes after I’d spoken to them. But they talked about the old royal scientist, and how he shattered across time and space, and they knew this… because they had a piece of him in their hands. It was—it was a tiny little head they’d been speaking through the whole time?! It was so weird Flowey, even weirder than you._ ’

“Wow, thanks,” Flowey griped. “So, this Gaster guy was the old royal scientist, huh? Hmm… and here Sans and Papyrus are running around with attacks named after him, not to mention all the other weird stuff they can do.”

‘ _Do you think he made them?_ ’

“Maybe. Royal scientists do all kinds of things, after all,” Flowey said, lip curling for a moment. He closed his eyes, then turned back to them with a smile. “Hey Frisk, it’s been real informative chatting with ya. I thought maybe the surface would be boring once you got your happy ending, but it looks like the story's not over after all. I tried figuring out what was up with those skeletons ages ago, but this is just the chance we need to actually get some answers. You with me, best friend?”

Frisk thought for a moment, then smiled. ‘ _I do want to know more about them. Sans seems so sad sometimes… I want to help him somehow._ ’

“Well, if you knew what he can do you might not feel so charitable, but fine. You have your reasons, I have mine, but if we work together we’re bound to find something, right?”

‘ _I know what you can do, and I still want to help you,_ ’ Frisk pointed out, and Flowey rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, you weirdo. Whatever. I’ll see if I can find some stuff out and tell it to you later, okay? See ya pal!”

Frisk waved as Flowey disappeared into the ground. They stood, and wandered the yard a little while, turning over everything in their head. Sans was dangerous, but not? He _had_ threatened them, then brushed it off as a joke… and it was true his blaster didn’t look like anything they’d expect of him—they’d thought as much when they’d first seen it. And then the connection with the mysterious royal scientist Gaster—what had happened to him, and why were the only references to him found so… outside of reality? Why would Sans and Papyrus’ attacks be named after him?

And now that they thought about it... it wasn't just Sans that bent the laws of physics. Papyrus did a lot of strange things too. Was it all connected?

Frisk frowned, and headed inside. Toriel had monster history books around the house—maybe they could find some mention of the old scientist there. They’d start with those. Frisk pulled a stack from the living room bookshelf and got to work, determined to find the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is equivalent to Chapter Six, Act One of the comic! A few things have changed between formats, but the overall plot is the same: there's something up with those skeletons.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flowey does some investigating; he knows how to play this game.

Flowey was doing a little research of his own. Camouflaged in one of Papyrus’ carefully maintained flowerbeds, he watched in awe as a massive, skeletal dragon-like beast bounded across the yard with an old log clamped in its jaws. The beast carried its prize with head held high to where another bony creature lay in the sun, and presented the log with a short chirp. The other raised its head, and Flowey drew a sharp breath as its eyes seemed to meet his.

Those eyes were the last thing he’d seen as he died innumerable times.

But the creature didn’t see him, focused on the log its kin offered instead, and together they began chewing on it. Flowey cringed at the sound of bone scraping against wood, and suddenly understood where the sizable pile of wood chips next to the smaller beast had come from. Apparently they’d been at this a while.

He recognized both attacks, of course, having fought the skeleton brothers plenty of times, but Frisk really hadn’t been kidding when they’d called their new forms dragons. There wasn’t a more fitting word for the large, loosely reptilian creatures, and Papyrus’ even had wings that were apparently fully functional. Flowey shook his head. He knew the skeletons were weird, but he hadn’t thought their magic included creating whole, animate beasts.

The blasters were making short work of the old log, tearing off long splinters every few minutes; Flowey laughed to himself when the one that undoubtedly belonged to Sans sneezed and a cloud of sawdust puffed from its nares. The other—Papyrus’ attack—coughed indignantly at the interruption, and its kin huffed a laugh. The log gave a final crack under their combined assault, joining its fallen brethren in the pile, and the lankier of the two was already up to fetch another, but Flowey had a better idea. He’d have to be careful, but what he had in mind had to be more fun than chewing on rotten logs all day.

The attacks jerked like startled cats when he popped up out of the ground between them, smiling brightly as he made sure his petals caught the full light of the sun so he was as visible as possible. Sans’ gave a deep hiss as it backed away, but Papyrus’ blaster only tilted its head curiously, studying him with its wide eyes and goofy skeleton grin. It might have been hard to believe it was an incredibly powerful weapon, but he knew better than anyone what both attacks were capable of under their masters’ control. The question now was what they could do when left to their own devices.

“Howdy pals! You guys look bored. Let’s see…” He cast about and found a chunk of log that hadn’t been totally shredded, then used a long vine to pick it up and wave it enticingly. “C’mon buddy, you wanna play right? Do you know fetch?”

He threw the shard as hard as he could. The blaster locked onto it, braced itself, and fired a beam of magic that incinerated the wood in an instant. Flowey made a face and a mental note: dragons did not know fetch. He supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised… He’d have to figure out some other game to play with them then—maybe tag? He ducked underground and popped up a few feet away, and grinned as the blasters followed his every move. He definitely had their attention, at least.

They—rather, Flowey and Papyrus’ blaster—played a glorified version of whack-a-mole for a while, and Flowey delighted whenever he managed to make the gangly beast trip and stumble over itself. It snapped after him, and tried digging him out, but no amount of clawing or magic lasers had an effect when he was nowhere close by, and he giggled as the beast grew increasingly flustered. He used a vine to tap the blaster’s foot, and could hardly believe his luck when it bit its own toes and yelped.

“Wow! I bet without Papyrus around you can’t do ANYTHING right,” he mocked, watching the creature whimper as it tried to nurse its foot. He shook his head, and was about to make another snide remark when massive claws smacked into the ground around him.

He looked up to see sharp irises and a wicked grin before fear compelled him to move. He burrowed as fast as his roots could take him, heading down and away as a blast thrummed into the earth nearby, not stopping until he was certain he’d put several yards between himself and the other attack. He headed even further just to be safe, then turned his efforts upward and popped up near a tree. A beam of magic roared just inches above his head, and he swore as he retreated once more, heading in a different direction and finally coming out near the house under some bushes.

Sans’ blaster was looking for him, its head darting from one hint of movement to the next. How could he have been so dumb, forgetting about it before taunting its kin? Knowing who’d made these, of course it would come out of nowhere to defend its sibling. Well, if he was careful, he could still play with them. He’d wanted to see what the blasters were fully capable of anyway, so he might as well start now.

Flowey grinned, and sent his vines snaking out. This would be fun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is equivalent to Act Two of the comic! Enjoy ^^


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asgore is called in to deal with some trouble.

Asgore let his eyes rove over the document another time—legal things, always such a tedious aspect of his job, and the humans had even more complicated rules and obfuscating language. But he would endure it all to help ensure the lasting prosperity of his kingdom, and he actually had hope he’d be able to retire soon and act as more of a figurehead than a true leader. To think, after all this time, peace between monsters and humans…

His phone rang, breaking the still of the stuffy office he’d holed up in, and he scrambled for the device. “Howdy! Yes, it is I, Asgore. What is it?”

He listened as a stern voice spoke rapidly.

“…I see. I will be there at once.”

He gathered his things and swept them into a briefcase, and stormed from the room. The humans working in the main lobby watched him warily, struck by the fierce look in his eyes and the purpose in his stride, but he didn’t have time to make amends for any fear he may have caused. He would not allow anyone to destroy what he’d been dreaming of.

He’d only been given a general idea of where to go, but it was enough, and he sped as quickly through the streets as traffic safety laws would allow in the large truck the humans had presented him to aid relations. An intimidating vehicle, it garnered respect and more than one fellow driver hurried to move out of his way as he navigated the city streets set on one destination: the large city park where apparently, rogue monsters were threatening human lives.

He was waved on through a police barricade, a heaviness in his heart as he prepared himself mentally. Who would he meet here? Who had fallen to old fears? He didn’t dare guess as he parked and set foot on the concrete, fists and jaw clenched alike. A scream rang out, and he shut his eyes against painful memories. Then gunfire and shouts from human officers echoed from within the park, and with grim resignation, he marched in their direction.

He reached a checkpoint of some kind, and was met by a squad captain.

“What is happening?” Asgore commanded, and the officer gave him a salute before she spoke.

“Sir, as I understand it a pair of monsters—”

A loud burst of sound unlike anything Asgore had heard cut her off as a beam of light tore through the trees. Distant shouts relayed orders to move to safety, and he shook his head. “No matter, I will deal with them. Please call off your guards, and…”

He took a moment to dig into his pockets and withdraw a package of tea biscuits, and handed them to the officer.

“If any are injured, please give those to them. It will help, trust me.”

The captain seemed confused, but nodded. He gave her a pat on the shoulder, then turned to head deeper into the park. What he found was not what he’d expected.

Two skeletal beasts were backed in the corner of a park courtyard. One—a long, skinny thing with wings—lay on the ground whimpering and nursing a fractured leg, the lights of its eyes dull. The other, a shorter, stockier being adorned with heavy spikes, stood over it with eyes sharp and wild, its jaws gaping menacingly as it growled. Asgore only knew of two skeleton monsters, but they were not possibly related to these creatures that seemed more like wild beasts than members of monster society. Still, it never hurt to try civility first.

“Excuse me, but, I don’t believe we’ve met. May I ask who you are?” Asgore began, his voice gentle as he approached slowly. The shorter creature crouched defensively and hissed, and he halted his advance. “Do not worry. No one will hurt you.”

The creature studied him—and lunged. Asgore’s trident was in his hand in an instant, a blur of red as he swung to block. The tines slid past the struts of the beast’s neck and with a careful twist he threw it to the ground. In a flash it was on its feet again, shaking itself out before crouching again. But rather than pounce, it seemed to size him up—then the mandibles parted and a beam of light seared by with a deafening pulse he felt more than heard. Asgore countered with a rain of fire, pelting the creature and knocking it back, but it shrugged off the scorching heat and answered with another beam. This time, it didn’t miss.

Asgore grit his teeth, patting at the singed breast of his suit. The attack had done far less damage than he’d expected—almost negligible really, though it certainly hadn’t been pleasant to endure. He didn’t want to fight this… being, or monster, or whatever it was, but it hadn’t seemed to understand him. At least he would be able to last against it until he figured out what to do.

He knocked it back with his trident again, and settled in for the fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the chapter equivalent to Act Three of the comic! There's a few differences here--mainly, the brief appearance of a human that isn't Frisk XD But, I didn't want to come up with new humans for the comic, so I cut those bits out >u>;;
> 
> Both angles work, I think, but it is a pretty big difference between the two.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Undyne enters the fray--she can't let her mentor fight alone...

Undyne jogged down the sidewalk, breathing in sync with each powerful stride. She wanted to run faster, but there were plenty of humans still out and about even with the warnings to stay indoors until city police had the situation under control. A snarl pulled at her lips; after everything they’d worked for, what kind of fool had ruined it?! She’d almost put a spear through the TV at the café where she’d stopped for lunch, hardly believing her ears as the news anchors reported property damage and havoc. She didn’t care if the human authorities were dealing with them—whoever it was, they’d have to answer to her too.

Traffic grew sparse as she pressed on, and with more room to maneuver she took off, flying down the sidewalks and leaping over any obstacle, pedestrian and object alike. Businesses gave way to a few blocks of houses, and then finally nothing but green space opened before her. There were few police patrolling on this side of the park, but they couldn’t have stopped her anyway as she charged in. Reaching a soccer field, she slid to a halt and listened—and was rewarded with the sounds of metal hitting something solid, and the flash of a magical attack penetrated the trees. Nodding to herself, she lunged forward again, hands flexing and ready to summon a spear in an instant.

There was a glint of white ahead, and Undyne realized it was Asgore’s fur catching the sun as he too ran through the trees. She bared her teeth and changed course, tailing after him to a clearing—he leapt and brought his trident down on something Undyne couldn’t make out yet. There was a crunch and an animal yelp, then the sounds of a scuffle continued anew.

Undyne finally broke from cover with a spear in each hand ready to aid her mentor, only to skid to a halt. Her heart dropped as Asgore clashed with a beast she knew all too well—but it bore new gouges and scrapes and fought with a wild desperation. Asgore seemed equally worn, his beard disheveled and his breathing hard as he met the blaster’s every strike. For a moment, Undyne was struck by how wrong this all was. But a snap from the blaster’s jaws called her to action.

She flanked the blaster and leapt, her boot connecting with the beast’s rib cage. It tumbled with a cry, flailing widely with its claws and nearly catching her in the legs. She danced back, and summoned a line of spears that would keep the creature at bay so she could check on her king. He was leaning on his trident taking a welcome breather, and he nodded to her as she approached.

“Sir! Are you alright?”

“I have underestimated this creature’s fury,” he panted, adjusting his grip. “Be wary. Its magic may not work as you expect.”

“Got it,” she replied, frowning as she glanced back at the attack. “You know, it’s actually—get back!”

The blaster pivoted, bringing its bladed tail crashing through Undyne’s barricade and mere feet from where they stood. The two monsters exchanged looks, then darted in opposite directions. If they divided the creature’s attention, they’d have better odds at defeating it.

Though, Undyne didn’t know what defeat in this context would look like. It wasn’t a normal battle—there was no option to spare or act in some way that would calm the blaster down. The brothers' house was on the other side of town, so leading the attack back home would be difficult, not to mention hazardous. At the same time, she didn’t want to destroy it—for one, it was the coolest thing Sans had ever done with his magic, and two, Papyrus would be heartbroken, so destroying it was only an option if nothing else worked.

It snapped at her, and she wrapped her arms around its jaws the way she’d seen Papyrus do with his so long ago; she hung on for dear life as it bucked furiously, trying to shake her off. But Undyne wasn’t about to let go so easily. She added her legs to her hold and freed a hand, running it along the beasts’ eyebrow.

“Hey! Hey, it’s me, Undyne! Listen, you have to stop!”

The blaster snarled and reared—then twisted to fling her off with the force of its whole body behind it. A small tree imploded under her as she landed, and she was left winded and panting by the impact. But it would take a lot more than that to bring her down, and her king still needed her. Rising on shaky limbs, Undyne summoned a spear in each fist, and charged back into the fray with a roar. The blaster had turned its attention back to Asgore, and didn’t see her coming until she was already landing on top of it.

Straddling the long spines that topped the blaster’s neck, she buried the head of one spear deep into the earth and hauled on it, pulling the attack’s head down. Gripping the other spear, she repeated the action so the hafts crossed, pinning her quarry beneath her. Asgore read her strategy and added his trident to the mix, slotting it carefully between cervical ribs and neural spines so no further harm came to their opponent. The blaster cried and writhed, but between the two of them, they finally had it contained.

And then crashing from above announced the arrival of the other blaster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The action continues--this chapter is equivalent to Act Four of the comic! Enjoy!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quick check-in elsewhere...

“Howdy Frisk!”

Frisk jumped at the familiar voice, and glanced down at the small flower that had popped up by their feet as they read in the yard. _‘Flowey?’_

“Who else, silly?” the plant winked, then dropped his cheery airs. “Okay, so, I checked out the blasters. I hate to admit it, they’re pretty cool after all... but I might’ve gotten a little carried away.”

Frisk raised an eyebrow at him. ‘ _Did you get in trouble?_ ’

Flowey pulled a lopsided grin. “I just wanted to play with them a bit, you know, get an idea of their full power for our investigation… but. You know me. I tend to play a little rough.”

Frisk waited as he fidgeted under their skeptical look.

He finally broke. “I kinda unleashed two giant skeleton beasts on the humans! Ha ha… it was an accident though! I didn’t think the lanky one would run!”

‘ _You scared the blasters?!_ ’ Frisk signed frantically, worried now, and Flowey grit his teeth.

“I didn’t mean to, honest! Okay, so, I shouldn’t have thrown Papyrus’ over the roof, but I thought it would just fly! Instead, it ran away, and Sans’ took off after it!”

Frisk looked at him reproachfully, and sighed. ‘ _So what do you want me to do?_ ’

Flowey looked downcast. “If… if everything gets messed up… I don’t blame you if you reset. I just thought, since you worked so hard for this ending, you at least deserved to know why. Surprise! Mean old Flowey, at it again.”

Frisk knelt and stroked his petals gently. ‘ _It’s okay. I don’t know what we can do to fix it, but I’m sure it’ll work out. We need to learn how to live with consequences anyway, right?_ '

Flowey gave a bittersweet smile. “If you’re really not gonna reset, then we’ve got no choice, huh? Man Frisk, if I were you I’d have reset like twenty times by now. You really are a lot more determined than me if you think you can get through something like this without ‘em—that, or stupid.”

Frisk smiled and shook their head. ‘ _I guess so. Right now I just hope everyone’s okay._ ’

“Eh, I’m sure they’re fine. Probably.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We finally get a better idea of what happened to set the blasters off... nice going, Flowey.
> 
> This chapter is equivalent to Act 5 of the comic, which means until Act 6 is done, there won't be any more fic updates. But stay tuned--there's plenty more to come! ^^

**Author's Note:**

> Well, here it is-- the fic version of my comic! There are some changes between formats--I'll sometimes cut things like dialogue from the fic to make the comic a little easier to draw, and I thought maybe people might like to see the difference. Enjoy!


End file.
